Not enough developers understand the benefits of functional programming, or even what it is. Author Steven Lott demystifies the approach, teaching you how to improve the way you code in Python and make gains in memory use and performance. If you’re a leetcoder preparing for coding interviews, this book is for you.
Starting from the fundamentals, this book shows you how to apply functional thinking and techniques in a range of scenarios, with Python 3.10+ examples focused on mathematical and statistical algorithms, data cleaning, and exploratory data analysis. You'll learn how to use generator expressions, list comprehensions, and decorators to your advantage. You don't have to abandon object-oriented design completely, though – you'll also see how Python's native object orientation is used in conjunction with functional programming techniques.
By the end of this book, you'll be well-versed in the essential functional programming features of Python and understand why and when functional thinking helps. You'll also have all the tools you need to pursue any additional functional topics that are not part of the Python language.
Use Python's libraries to avoid the complexities of state-changing classes
Leverage built-in higher-order functions to avoid rewriting common algorithms
Write generator functions to create lazy processing
Design and implement decorators for functional composition
Make use of Python type annotations to describe parameters and results of functions
Apply functional programming to concurrency and web services
Explore the PyMonad library for stateful simulations
* Explore the Python modules essential to functional programming, like itertools and functools
* Cover examples relevant to mathematical, statistical, and data analysis domains
No prior knowledge of functional programming is required to get started, though Python programming knowledge is assumed. A running Python environment is essential.